Like Parents, Like Teens

Part 12

A/N: Wow! I wrote this a day after I wrote/posted Part 11, which is really weird for me. I just had to give you a little more time for suspense before I posted this one. I hope you like it…Thanks to my reviewers! You guys give me inspiration. I'm gonna miss you when this story is over…

Disclaimer: Anything and everything Harry Potter does not lawfully belong to me. Try not to get confused.

What…Where…The sluggish thoughts crawled across Hermione's mind. She opened her eyes a crack, letting the sunlight in.

"Ah, so you're awake," Madame Pomfrey stated disapprovingly, staring down at Hermione. She opened her eyes wider, and took in her surroundings.

"The hospital wing?" Hermione asked dazedly.

"Indeed," Madame Pomfrey replied sharply. "Girls like you fainting away all over, all caused by the stress of Valentine's Day."

"I…fainted?" Hermione tried to recall what had happened in the tea shop, but it was still very hazy. She had the feeling she'd done something embarrassing, though.

"No doubt caused by that beau of yours," Madame Pomfrey continued, bustling around the room, checking on other sleeping patients. "Ronald Weasley? In here between classes. He's disturbing my peace." She scowled at Hermione, as if she had insisted that the impudent boy upset the balance of the hospital wing.

"Ron?" Hermione choked out. "He's not my…my beau!" she cried, mind working furiously. Is he? The thought spiraled through her, refusing to be brushed aside.

"Hermione!" Both the elder and younger witch directed their gazes at the red-head who had flung open the door.

"Ginny!" Hermione laughed, surprised. Her previous notion forgotten in an instant. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you, obviously," Ginny said, rolling her eyes as she settled on a chair next to Hermione's bed. "If we could have a moment?" Ginny turned to Madame Pomfrey expectantly. The nurse sniffed and turned on her heel, leaving the room huffily. The girls giggled.

"So what happened, Gin?" Hermione asked, now serious. "At Madame Puddifoot's. Did I really faint?" Ginny nodded, smirking. "Oh, no," Hermione groaned.

"What? It's not like you did anything embarrassing. Actually it turned out to be quite romantic."

"Oh really?" Hermione asked, dread increasing at every word Ginny spoke. This was not going to be good. Ginny took a deep breath then looked at Hermione as she began to speak,

"Well it kind of happened like this…

A shriek, followed by the crash of breaking dishes, splintered the silence that had fallen inside Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop. The other customers peered at the shocked waitress standing amidst the broken dishes, then at the table that was causing this reaction.

Harry and Ginny stared in shock at the scene unfolding around them. Ron was yelling and jumping around. The waitress was screaming, the couples craning their necks to get a good look at what had happened. Something exciting indeed: Hermione Granger had passed out on the table.

"Hermione? Hermione!" Ron cried again, shaking the unconscious girl next to him. "Hermione!"

"Ron!" Ginny grabbed her brother and held him back. "It's not working, you prat! Try something else!"

"Like what?" He yelled back, unaware of the many eyes glued to their exchange.

"Something!" Ginny said desperately. "Some water, maybe?" She turned to the stunned waitress. "Get us some water!"

"Uh-huh," the waitress nodded slowly, then, peeling her eyes away from the scene, slowly moved toward the kitchens.

"We should probably get her to the hospital wing," Harry stated, looking down at his friend. 'At least things can't be worse this year', he remembered thinking. Yeah, right. Maybe he was just cursed. Or a jinx.

"Hurry up!" Ginny whispered frantically, waiting for the waitress to reappear.

"This isn't working," Ron said loudly, suddenly calm. Harry was right. Fainting wasn't that serious, but Hermione should be in the hospital wing. He moved forward and gently lifted her out of the booth. Ginny and Harry were staring at him. "Come on," he told them gruffly, then moved toward the door before he could start to think about what he was doing. The others followed, and soon they were back at Hogwarts, Hermione safely deposited in the hospital wing.

That's basically the story," Ginny finished. She leaned back against the chair and yawned. "My git of a brother actually did something right for once." She grinned, taking in Hermione's beet red face, full of horror.

"He carried me? What am I going to say to him?" she moaned. "Thank you for romantically carrying me to safety after I fainted? This is pathetic."

"Only slightly," Ginny replied happily. "I was actually quite happy with the events that transpired at Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop."

"Why?" Hermione asked, momentarily brushing away her own worries at the dreamy look on Ginny's face. "Gin, did you and Harry…" She gasped, figuring out what had happened quickly. She grinned back. "Oh, you're lucky I passed out, or Ron would have killed you both!"

Ginny laughed, blushing prettily. "Well, I think you're back to normal, Hermione. I was getting kind of worried back in the tea shop."

"Hermione?" For the second time that day, Hermione responded to her name being called. But this time was different. Her heart started beating faster.

"Ron?" she whispered. He couldn't be here! She didn't want to see him yet.

"I'll leave you two alone," Ginny said slyly, slipping from her seat and out the door behind her brother. Hermione stared after her desperately.

"You're okay!" Ron grinned, overlooking Hermione's expression, and bounded into the room.

"Um, yes-" Hermione was cut off as Ron's arms wrapped around her. He was so warm…Tentatively she moved her arms to embrace him. "I'm definitely okay," she whispered, leaning into him, emotions from moments before forgotten.

"I was really worried!" He held her tighter. Hermione felt his body tense. "I mean…" He pulled back slightly so that he was looking into her face. Ron quickly dropped his eyes as his face started to burn.

"I mean, I knew it wasn't anything serious, but still…" He trailed off and coughed nervously. Hermione bit her lip. Should she say it? Did it really matter?

"Thank you for carrying me here," she said softly. Ron looked up sharply, his blue eyes meeting hers in an electric explosion. How could something that had sounded so stupid just seconds earlier now be so intimate? Hermione wondered.

Ron was falling, slowly. He'd never been quite this close to Hermione's face, never had her hair brushing against his own face. He was going to do it. He couldn't stop himself. Ron knew he would probably hate himself later for this, but right now, he couldn't stop remembering Hermione's words in the tea shop. Maybe he wouldn't regret it. Maybe…

Hermione couldn't believe what was happening. Ron's face came closer and closer, his eyes closing, his breath soft against her cheeks. Then his lips were on hers. Hermione, for once, didn't stop to analyze things. She just closed her eyes and kissed him back, enjoying the moment.

A/N: Yay! I have wanted to do this for sooooo long! Another short chapter, but I just had to get it out there. Now don't expect anything for a while…Please review!